There are three main methods of quantitative data collection, which are:

Surveys

These are sets of questions you can use to receive quantitative answers, and you can conduct them over the phone, by email or online. Creating a survey allows you to develop targeted questions that solicit answers most relevant to your needs. The main advantage of this method is that surveys often are quick and easy to create. When using them, try to encourage people to answer honestly and comprehensively for the accuracy of your data.Related: How To Write a Research Question: Steps and Examples

Analytics

This method involves examining a data set and trying to find conclusions based on it. This can allow you to identify and extract the relevant data that may help with problem-solving or ideation. Professional analysts often assess the data a third party provides for them. For example, you can use software to track how many people visit your website and what pages they look at most often. This can be useful for determining what content to create next or whether to change the layout or design of a site to make it more appealing to visitors.Related: What Is Quantitative Data? (With Methods, Benefits and Examples)

Experiments

Conducting an experiment is a way to determine cause-and-effect relationships that allows you to test a hypothesis and gather data to determine whether your initial theory is correct. For example, you can conduct an experiment to see how bean plants react to varying levels of water and sunlight. People typically use experiments in academic, scientific or product development environments that rely on the scientific method to find quantitative answers to questions.Related: Experimental Research: Definition, Types and Examples

What is qualitative research?

Qualitative research is a study methodology that focuses on unquantifiable traits or responses, such as opinions about an event or interviews about personal experiences. This method aims to describe various events while generating theories and learning what causes them and what effects they have.Various industries, including education, sociology, psychology, marketing, communication studies and anthropology, use qualitative research. Qualitative data is open-ended and subjective pieces of information. You can collect it through interviews, focus groups, observations, or field notes. The main purpose of qualitative data is to expose the meaning behind events and experiences.Related: 6 Types of Qualitative Research: Definition and Method Examples

Methods of qualitative data collection

Here are examples of data collection methods to use in your qualitative research: